Trypanosoma cruzi: nucleotide and vitamin requirements of growing epimastigotes.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
A Avila
Publications and source records attributed to A Avila.
Effect of allopurinol on different strains of Trypanosoma cruzi.
Groups of mice were inoculated with six Trypanosoma cruzi strains and then treated with 32 mg/kg body weight allopurinol for 10 consecutive days. Effects of the drug on mortality rates were closely evaluated and repeated fresh blood examinations were done. Infected mice showed at least four parasitemia patterns with varied mortality rates and parasitemia levels. Evidence is provided that, independently of the parasitemia pattern or level and strain origin, there are marked differences in the sensitivity to allopurinol between the several T. cruzi strains studied. These differences in drug response seem to be related to biological characteristics of the strains and pose further challenges in the rational therapy of Chagas' disease.
Allopurinol↗
Trypanosoma cruzi: defined medium for continuous cultivation of virulent parasites.
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Animals↗
Acid and neutral hydrolases in Trypanosoma cruzi. Characterization and assay.
Twelve acid hydrolases, 4 near-neutral hydrolases, and alkaline phosphatase were demonstrated in 0.34 M sucrose homogenates of Trypanosoma cruzi strain Y: p-nitrophenylphosphatase and alpha-naphthylphosphatase, with optimum pH at approximately 6.0; alpha=ga;actpsodase. beta=ga;actpsodase. beta=g;icpsodase, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, cathepsin A and peptidase I and III, with optimum pH between 5.0 and 6.0; and arylsulfatase, cathepsin D, alpha-arabinase and alpha-mannosidase with optimum pH at approximately 4.0. alpha-Glucosidase, glucose-6-phosphatase and peptidase II had optimum pH at approximately 7.0. beta-Glycerophosphatase had a broad pH-activity curve from 4,0 to 7.4, with maximum activity at pH 7.0. The main kinetic characteristics of these enzymes and their quantitative assay methods were studied. No activity was detected for alpha-fucosidase, beta-xylosidase, beta-glucuronidase, elaidate esterase, acid lipase, and alkaline phosphodiesterase.
Animals↗
Chemotherapy with ethidium bromide-DNA complex in established Chagas' disease.
Two different strains of mice (AKR and NMRI-IVIC) were inoculated intraperitoneally with the virulent Y strain of Trypanosoma cruzi, and then treated with the lysosomotropic ethidium bromide-DNA complex, according to several different treatment schedules. When animals were treated 48 hours after intraperitoneal inoculation with three intraperitoneal doses of EB-DNA no parasitemia was detected, even after 11 weeks, confirming previous results. However, when infection was allowed to become fully established, that is 3-4 weeks after inoculation, and then challenged with several different treatment schedules (with varied doses and timing of administration) we failed to cure established Chagas' disease, suggesting that the claim of effectiveness for this EB-DNA complex is limited to early Chagas' disease.
Animals↗
[Diagnosis of endocervical neoplasms with the help of colposcopy].
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Adult↗
Hyperplastic changes and receptor status in the breast tissue of bodybuilders under anabolic-androgenic steroid stimulation.
Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are misused by athletes to improve their physical performance. AAS with similar groups and configuration indicate that testosterone is the base of this ability to stimulate anabolic activity. The effect of these compounds on the breast tissue of males that consume them is a confirmation of its metabolic pathway. To confirm its hormonal effects, the status of estradiol and progesterone receptors (ER, PgR) status was determined in cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions (HRc, HRn) of 8 premalignant breast tissues from 8 bodybuilders (aged 21 to 45 years) under AAS stimulation. The control group included 5 males with benign disorders of the breast, but not due to AAS administration. The concentrations of ERc and ERn were significantly higher (p < .05) in males under AAS stimulation than in males without these. The concentrations of PgRc and PgRn do not differ between these two groups (p > .05) The benign breast disease is remarkably similar in female and male patients, suggesting a common origin. In the same way, the measurement of both HRc and HRn is necessary to accurately report receptor concentration.
Adult↗
[Sister Mary Joseph's nodule from a metastatic carcinoma. Description of 2 cases].
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Abdominal Muscles↗
[Obsessive-compulsive disorders and structural cerebral alterations. Description of 3 cases].
Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders have emerged as a differentiated entity, characterized with intrusive and obsessive thoughts or repetitive behaviors whose major syndrome would be the classical obsessive-compulsive disorder. In order to spread this concept among neurologists, we present three cases that can be considered as obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, in which structural cerebral lesions co-exist. Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders share with obsessive-compulsive disorder several clinical and neurobiological characteristics as well as their therapeutic response. Nevertheless, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders have a lesser positive familial history incidence and a later start than obsessive-compulsive disorder. Recent neurobiological studies using functional and structural neuroimaging in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder together with neuropsychological studies reveal the existence of defects in the following neural circuits: frontal-orbital-basal ganglia-thalamus-cortical and their limbic connections. In a similar manner as it occurs with obsessive-compulsive disorder, research on obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders will provide the pathophysiological basis of the obsessive-compulsive disorder in the dysfunctionality of the previously mentioned neurological circuits.
Adult↗
[Risk factors associated with survival in patients in a peritoneal dialysis program].
The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of different mortality risk factors in peritoneal dialysis and to establish a prognostic index that could predict mortality risk when patients start dialysis. A prospective study was performed on 103 patients included in our peritoneal dialysis program. The mean follow-up time was 26 +/- 21 months. A multivariate analysis (Cox regression was made to identify different risk factors that could influence patient survival during peritoneal dialysis. Age, gender, parathyroid hormone, albumin, cholesterol, and the presence of diabetes mellitus were evaluated as potential risk factors. Patients were distributed in three groups (high, medium and low risk), according to the risk factors with a significant influence in multivariate analysis, and patient survival was studied depending on the prognostic index using Kaplan-Meier estimator. Overall patient survival was 90% (95%CI: 83 to 96%) after the first year and 40% (95%IC: 32 to 58%) after 5 years of follow-up. The Cox regression analysis identified albumin below 4 g/dL (RR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.16 to 5.72), age older than 65 years RR: 3.10; 95%IC: 1.20 to 7.98) and diabetes mellitus (relative risk, RR: 4.36; 95%IC: 1.43 to 13.31) as independent risk factors for mortality in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. Patient survival after two years was 40% (95%IC: 31 to 59%), 73% (95%IC: 60 a 86%) and 100% (p < 0.05), respectively. Malnutrition and related factors in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis are associated with a higher mortality rate.
Adult↗
[Endoluminal percutaneous thrombectomy as a treatment for acute vascular access thrombosis: long-term results of 123 procedures].
UNLABELLED: Percutaneous treatment of thrombosis of occluded vascular access (VA) for haemodialysis (HD) has been an alternative to surgical and pharmacological treatments, but long term results are not well defined. The aim of our study was to analyse the long term results of percutaneous thrombectomy as a treatment of occluded VA for HD. We conducted a prospective study from june 1995 to april 1999, including 123 consecutive thrombectomies in 64 VA in patients submitted to our hospital because of recent thrombosis of VA for HD. We used two different techniques, hydrodynamic catheter thrombectomy (Hydrolyser) in the 42 first procedures (34.1%), and since october 1996 we used mechanical balloon thrombolysis in the remaining 81 patients (65.9%). Underlying stenoses were evaluated by angiography, and treated by angioplasty. After the procedure, intravenous heparin was administered for 24 hours. The VA were 28 Brescia-Cimino arteriovenous fistulae (30.4%) and 64 PTFE grafts (69.6%). PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: mean age: 63 +/- 15 years (18-84), previous VA: 3.3 +/- 2.5 (0-9). The mean follow-up was 10.5 +/- 8.6 months (3-35). Percutaneous thrombectomy was able to remove the clots in 120 instances (technical success: 97.5%). After the thrombectomy 15 patients (16.3%) were immediately referred to the surgeon to perform a new VA due to vascular lesions in which percutaneous treatment was not indicated. Thirteen cases (14.1%) showed early thrombosis (< 72 hours). During the follow-up, 27 cases developed thrombosis (30%) and 26 VA were still patent (28.3%). In 23% of perfusion lung scans and in 2 of the 5 angiographies performed after thrombectomy, subsegmentary or segmentary perfusion defects were detected, without clinical significance. There were no relevant undesirable effects related to the technique and no symptomatic pulmonary embolism. In summary, percutaneous thrombectomy, whether hydrodynamic or mechanical, has shown to be an efficacious treatment of VA thrombosis for HD, preserving the VA with satisfactory long-term results.
Acute Disease↗
[Streptococcus salivarius meningitis after spinal anesthesia].
Streptococcus salivarius is a usual commensal of skin, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, oral cavity and paranasal sinuses. Although it is usually considered to have low virulence, S. salivarius may cause life-threatening infections, particularly endocarditis. On the other hand, bacterial meningitis after spinal anesthesia is very rare, there being some reported cases caused by S. salivarius, S. mitis, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. We report a 57 year old man who developed meningitis symptoms within 10 h of an uncomplicated inguinal herniorrhaphy performed during spinal anesthesia. Cerebrospinal cultures grew S. salivarius sensitive to penicillin. The patient was successfully treated with penicillin G and left the hospital without sequelae. In the literature, bacterial meningitis due to S. salivarius is rarely reported. Of the 28 cases, 18 occurred after lumbar puncture for diagnostic or for spinal anesthesia, 5 occurred following a bacteriemia for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or intestinal neoplasia, and the other 5 in patients who had dural defects. We discuss the possible etiological causes of the meningitis due to S. salivarius cases reports. The early recognition of this entity and the aseptic precautions likely to reduce the incidence of infectious complications after lumbar puncture are stressed.
Anesthesia, Spinal↗
[Surveillance of the clinical course of 6,030 surgical wounds].
This report describes a 4 year prospective study of postoperative wound infections, utilizing a program of wound surveillance. Surgical wounds after 6030 operations of a general surgery service were surveyed by the authors and a specialist nurse, daily and in the follow up clinic for 30 days. Results were reported to all the surgeons monthly. The rates of infections demonstrated a decline over the years of surveillance. In the first year there was a 6.37 percent incidence of infection and the fourth year 4.7 percent. This represents an improvement in hospitalization days and expenses.
Humans↗
[Surveillance of the course of 6030 surgical wounds].
This report describes a 4-year prospective study of post-operative wound infections, utilizing a program of wound surveillance. Surgical wounds after 6030 operations of a general surgery service were surveyed by the authors and a specialist nurse, daily, and in the follow-up clinic for 30 days. The rates of infections showed a decline over the years of surveillance. On the first year there was a 6.37 per cent incidence of infections, and the fourth year, of 4.7 per cent. This represented an improvement in hospitalization days and expenses.
Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
[Rural and urban nutrition and its relationship to the atherogenic risk].
This research was carried out in a sample of 96 adults from a rural community undergoing a socioeconomical transition with the aim of evaluating their risk of atherosclerosis. Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides levels were measured in blood and a simplified food intake questionnaire was applied. A sample of 116 middle class urban subjects of similar age and sex were studied to compare the data. Although food consumption in both groups was different, the intake saturated fat was very similar. No significant differences were found regarding blood cholesterol and its fractions. Data show that the socioeconomical transition of the rural community is most unfavorable for their health, since besides all malnutrition-infection problems during infancy, adults present a chronic diseases risk similar to that of the urban population. It is possible that the poor population, due to their recent changes in food consumption habits, is in the border of a real chronic diseases epidemic, mainly of the atherosclerosis and thromboembolic type.
Adolescent↗
[Hemiplegia in posterior cerebral artery infarctions: analysis of various responsible mechanisms].
When cerebral infarction determines hemiplegia or hemiparesia which accompany a hemilateral sensitive deficit and hemianopsia and even neuropsychologic symptoms (aphasic alterations in the case of injury to the left hemisphere, heminegligence and anosognosy in the case of injury to the right hemisphere) the involvement of a sylvian artery syndrome is usually considered. Nonetheless, recent contributions have reported that such symptoms may appear in infarctions of the territory of the posterior cerebral artery. Two clinical-radiologic observations in this line are presented. Nuclear magnetic resonance demonstrated injury to the posterior arm of the internal capsule in one case and in the other the lesion developed over three times, in the latter of which injury to the cerebral peduncle was produced causing hemiparesia. The authors emphasize that hemiplegia or hemiparesia in some infarctions of the posterior cerebral artery may be due to 1) mesencephalic infarction in the posterior plane of the retromamillar Foix and Hillemand pediculum (or G. Lazorthes interpedunculum), 2) infarction or "ischemic penumbra" in the internal capsule by involvement of any of the perforating branches of the posterior cerebrum irrigating the thalamus, except for the medial posterior choroid artery or even of the Foix and Hillemand thalamus-tuberian pediculum (or Lazorthes inferior and anterior) which principally initiates at the posterior communicating branch with a fragment of the posterior branch of the internal capsule perhaps not always being under its control. In this case, the thrombus occupying the posterior cerebrum may extend to the cited communicating branch or a hemodynamic deficit may be produced in the territory of the same.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Aged↗
[Electroconvulsive therapy in Parkinson disease. Description of three cases].
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has demonstrated to be useful in psychiatric patients with parkinsonism as well as patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) without associated psychopathology. We prospectively evaluated three patients with PD and major depression in whom ECT proved to be efficacious. These patients experimented a marked improvement measured by the Unified Parkinson's Rating Scale (UPDRS). In two cases the ECT allowed for a reduction in their drug treatment, and in one case complex fluctuations disappeared. In the two patients who continued with ECT fortnightly, the improvement observed inicially has remained. Since ECT has shown a good tolerance, we conclude that this therapy should be considered as an alternative approach for PD patients with a poor answer to conventional treatment.
Antiparkinson Agents↗